The Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta has said he initially wanted to play on after suffering a gruesome ear injury in his side’s FA Cup win over Millwall.
The Lions goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off for a horrific challenge that left the Frenchman needing 25 stitches after being rushed to hospital during Palace’s 3-1 victory in the fifth-round tie.
However, Mateta said he was unaware of the extent of his injuries and had wanted to play on before being told otherwise by club doctors.
“When he kicked me, I was on the floor waiting for him to get the red card,” Mateta told Sky Sports News. “I was good to go. I thought: ‘Just get the blood off and keep going.’
“I was arguing with the doctor for 30 seconds, saying I wanted to play. The doctor saw the injury, but I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t feel pain. The blood, for sure. But I thought it was a little cut. My ear was like this [dangling]. But it was not painful.”
Although Michael Oliver only sent off Roberts after being advised to check the pitchside monitors, the goalkeeper subsequently received a six-match ban for the high kick, and was also subjected to online abuse.
Mateta said he had no hard feelings against him, and that Roberts had contacted him after the game to apologise. “Liam contacted me and texted me while I was in hospital and I told him: ‘It is OK, it is football,’” Mateta said. “He apologised. He was worried.”
“I don’t think he woke up and thought I want to cut the head of JP. There is a lot of pressure. He wanted to do good, too much emotion makes you do crazy things. It was just a mistake. You learn from it.”
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Mateta, who has scored 15 goals in 33 appearances for Palace in all competitions this season, has returned to individual training, but there is no date set for a comeback. The 27-year-old has his own sights set on the FA Cup quarter-final against Fulham on 29 March.
“Hopefully, I can play [against Fulham],” he said. “Hopefully, they can see me. I’m in the ground every day … I need to wear a mask, I need to wear something. I will take the best one that is most comfortable.”